Sainhikeya is a
Hindu demon that appears in the narrative of the Ocean of Milk being churned.
The gods deceive the demons out of their part of the nectar
of immortality (amrta) when the gods and demons join forces to churn the Ocean
of Milk and get it.
As the gods divide the nectar among themselves, the demon
Sainhikeya sneaks between the cracks and is offered some by mistake.
The Sun and Moon warn the deity Vishnu to the demon's
presence as he consumes it, and Vishnu slices off the demon's head with his dis
cus.
Despite the fact that the head and body are separated, both
become eternal when they come into touch with the nectar.
In Indian astrology, the head becomes Rahu and the body
becomes Ketu, both of which are hostile planets (jyotisha).
Rahu, according to legend, is also the source of eclipses:
he roams the sky, pursuing the Sun and Moon and attempting to retaliate by
swallowing them, but the two planets always pass through his severed neck
uninjured.
